Blind man hoping to find man who rescued him when he fell onto rail track as train approached

Carl "Macar" McGee was returning after a first date to his home in Stanley, County Durham, when he walked off the platform at Middlesbrough Station, mistakenly thinking his train had already arrived.

To the horror of onlookers, he fell four foot onto the tracks as his train approached the station on Saturday morning.

Carl, who was lucky to escape with just severe bruising, said: “I heard somebody scream. The next thing I knew was on the floor.

“It was a matter of seconds between me and the train. The driver had to stop abruptly.

“If it wasn’t for a man who came to my rescue, God alone knows what would have happened.

“I think I would have been dead. So he risked his life really to jump down and get me.”

Carl said the unidentified man helped him get back onto the platform, where bystanders provided comfort until an ambulance arrived.

He said: “I would really like to find the man who helped me, so I can thank him again.”

Carl said he travelled from Stanley to Middlesbrough for a first date with a woman he met on a chatline and had decided to come back on the Saturday.

“I am totally blind," he said. "I was sitting on seat on platform waiting for train to arrive on platform one at 7.30am when it was was announced my train was on its way.

“I heard a train standing still and heard a beeping noise of the doors opening, so I assumed my train was there.

“But it was a train on the next platform and that is when I fell. I suffered severe bruising and am am aching all over, but am lucky to be alive.

The 28-year-old, who has been blind since birth due to a rare genetic condition, is a seasoned traveller.

Despite this handicap he loves football and manages to follow both Sunderland and Scottish side Hibernian, home and away - he is well-known to followers of football phone-ins.

As for the date - Carl is hoping to meet up with her again!